Encourage private factories to set up factories?

Compared with invention, the change of private industrial production from workshops to factories is the foundation of the development of the industrial revolution.

As an engineering student, Zhu Mingzhong once read a paper on the analysis of the reasons why the ancient Chinese water-to-large spinning wheel could not detonate the industrial revolution, in the paper, in addition to pointing out its technical backwardness, not applicable to cotton spinning, the most important reason is that cotton spinning has been a sideline in the countryside since it began to replace hemp, and it is precisely because of this family manual production system that it is impossible for it to evolve into a manual workshop.

“…… Take Songjiang cloth as an example, before Hongguang, Songjiang cloth was sold for thousands of miles, and most of the yarn and cloth used came from the countryside, hundreds of thousands of households in neighboring counties spun yarn for it, and then the yarn merchants handed over to the weavers to weave cloth, and then dyed by the dyeers......

As a native of Kunshan, Suzhou, Gu Yanwu is no stranger to Songjiang, although under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, Songjiang has not seen the prosperity of yesterday's weaving, but he has naturally witnessed the appearance of Songjiang when it was prosperous.

"Most of the yarn and cloth used in the workshop come from the countryside, and according to the Ming law, the people are not allowed to tax their own spinning yarn, and the Qing law is also the same, if you want to be taxed, I am afraid that you can only tax according to the number of looms and the amount of cloth, so that it is bound to provoke a popular uprising, from Wanli to the first emperor, Suzhou, Songjiang people have become criminals, most of them are because of the weavers to resist taxes, such as Wanli 29 June, Suzhou weaving eunuch Sun Long is in charge of taxation, and his participation in Huang Jianjie, etc., arbitrarily increase taxes, and even reach the small people of weaving households, "arguing about each machine a piece, tax silver three coins", And take the opportunity to ask the mechanic to pay taxes according to the horse before selling, so that "all things are expensive, and the people are unbearable." In addition, the machine is a household and a tooth shop, and the tax amount is widely distributed, and the rate is changed, and the helpers have nothing to eat. So provoked the "change of the weaving maid". ”

When Gu Yanwu mentioned the "change of weaving maids" in Suzhou during the Wanli period, Zhu Mingzhong only nodded slightly, and he naturally understood this, and even when he expanded the weapons factory and shipyard, someone reminded him, and even suggested that he imitate the Manchu Qing Dynasty and "circle" the workers in Fangxiang, so that ten of them would be guaranteed to end the case, one person would break the law, and all ten would be guilty, so as to avoid the "mercenary strike".

For the so-called "circle fang" implemented by the Qing Dynasty in Suzhou weaving - that is, the weaving workers were trapped in the neighborhood, except for the New Year's festival and personal leave, they were not allowed to go out, and ten people were required to have a guarantee to tie the knot, and other ways to confine personal freedom, Zhu Mingzhong of course would not adopt, and even in his opinion, this is the key to the evolution of the interrupted Chinese workshop into a factory, although there was a Qing generation, the so-called "workshop" had thousands of weavers and dyers, but it never evolved into a factory. This kind of slave-like production limited the possibility of becoming factories at the source, and even the ten-person guarantee made it impossible for ordinary peasants to enter the work, because they needed to be insured, a malaise that still affected many factory workers in China even into the 20th century, and they could not be hired without the guarantee of a guarantor.

It is precisely because of his understanding of its shortcomings that Zhu Mingzhong will learn from the employment model of later generations - free employment, of course, most of the workers live near the factory, and a new market is formed near the factory.

"Ningren, do you remember what I said the other day?"

Gu Yanwu's reminder made Zhu Mingzhong smile.

"First of all, we must first prosper the market, so that we can pay more taxes, just like the people only have more than 100 catties per mu of harvest, and they can only sell more than one or two pieces of silver. But if the people's output per mu is increased to 200 catties, and then five centimeters of Tianbin are added, how can the people refuse? ”

With this simple example, Zhu Mingzhong continued.

"Just like this spinning, it is the people's sideline, in addition to their own use, there is also a little subsidy for the family, the income is extremely limited, Emperor Gao allowed it to be tax-free, what's wrong? If the people raised a chicken and sold it in the market, they also had to pay a few pennies in taxes, even if it was a tax collector in the Mengyuan Dynasty. ”

"Men plough and weave" this traditional Chinese life, is one of the reasons to prevent China's industrial revolution, as a sideline of the cotton textile industry, is the use of the surplus labor at home, there is no so-called cost, but also make cotton spinning machinery has no further development of power. In the cotton-growing areas, almost every household in the countryside is engaged in textile production, so naturally there will be no more cotton weaving market, and it is naturally impossible to have large-scale workshops like the silk weaving industry.

Even in the vegetable market of the 21st century, the "local products" produced by farmers are also tax-free, and even the government has to do everything possible to open up sales channels for them.

"But now the problem comes, on the one hand, the people and their families spin and weave almost no cost, and they use their own cotton, and when they sell it to yarn merchants, they do not need to pay taxes, but spinning yarn in the factory needs to pay taxes and silver, although it is not much, but it is also a burden, plus the wages of workers, the cost is beyond the people's self-spinning. If the tax is raised, it will inevitably arouse the dissatisfaction of the textile workers, and it is inevitable to provoke civil revolt. ”

Smiling, Zhu Mingzhong said with a smile.

"So, if you want to collect taxes, you have to find a way to reduce the cost of the factory!"

This is the heart of the Industrial Revolution!

Finally, Zhu Mingzhong said the key to the problem.

"Reduce costs?"

Looking at Jing Luo in puzzlement, Gu Yanwu's eyes looked a little surprised.

"How can this cost be reduced? If the workers' commissions are lowered, it will inevitably provoke a popular uprising, and if it is ......"

"If one worker does the same work, is it equivalent to a few or even a dozen or dozens of workers?"

What is the core of cost reduction? It is to improve production efficiency, in Gu Yanwu's puzzlement, Zhu Mingzhong took out a piece of paper, which is different from the softness of ordinary rice paper, this kind of "Qinghe paper" that draws on the production process of Tibetan scripture paper and hemp paper is closer to the paper of later generations - the texture is thick and hard, not as soft as traditional Chinese paper. That's why it's perfect for hard pen writing, as well as for drawing and printing. Of course, now Zhu Mingzhong mostly uses it to make maps.

"Ning Ren, look at this new textile machine!"

Pointing to the pattern on the paper, Zhu Mingzhong's expression was slightly meaningful, since that day he said the words of encouragement to the private factory, he asked people to buy a spinning wheel, for a little research, and then recalled the pattern of the "Jenny spinning machine" he had seen, and designed a "multi-spindle spinning machine".

"In the past spinning, a spinning wheel only carried one spindle, so its production efficiency was naturally very low, and the production efficiency of the workers in the workshop was not much different from that of the rural women, but if several spindles were arranged vertically and driven by a spinning wheel, wouldn't it be possible to spin more yarn at once?"

Looking at the pattern on the map and listening to the explanation, Gu Yanwu even involuntarily counted how many spindles he had.

Two rows of spindles at one end of the spinning machine, up to 30 spindles!

"30 spindles!"

Looking at Jing Luo in surprise, Gu Yanwu asked rhetorically,

"Jingluo, are you saying that this yarn machine can top 30 spinning wheels in one piece?"

Unlike the Confucian disciples who later imagined that they rejected technology, at least in this era, these scholars of the Ming Dynasty did not indulge in "study of evidence", and most of them still maintained a strong curiosity about many things, and were able to look at many things with an open mind. Looking at those drawings, Gu Yanwu was completely attracted by the lightweight structure and wonderful design of this spinning machine, so that he was completely immersed in it, and admired the whimsy from time to time.

"Maybe it can't reach the efficiency of 30 spinning wheels, but 256 is no problem, and it still has room for further improvement, such as adding a row of spindles in the middle, and then adding 30, in this way, a yarn machine and a worker, spinning is equal to at least 50 people every day, so that the spinning cost can naturally be greatly reduced, and the factory can be established with this machine, and the factory will naturally be able to compete with the rural yarn......"

Increase productivity and reduce costs!

This is the fundamental premise of the establishment of the factory, which is also the fundamental reason why the industrial revolution cannot avoid the Jenny spinning machine, precisely because of its emergence that industrial production has the capital to compete with the production of family workshops - cheap enough.

In addition to being surprised by its efficiency, Gu Yanwu was even more surprised by its exquisite design.

"What is this?"

Seeing Gu Yanwu pointing to a part on the spinning wheel, he asked.

"This is in the form of" roller ", through which the sliver is fed and can be both spun ......"

The so-called "roller" is also "roller", explaining its function, Zhu Mingzhong looked at Gu Yanwu and smiled.

"Ning people, at most half a month later, the weapons factory will produce the first yarn machine, to the beginning of the spring thaw, this yarn machine can be produced at least 100 units, when the time comes, I am ready to invest in Qinghe to set up a yarn factory, how about it? Are you interested in taking a stake in this mill? ”

The reason why Zhu Mingzhong proposed to let Gu Yanwu take a stake in it is not only because his family business has been destroyed, but more importantly, he hopes to take the yarn factory as an opportunity to further link the entire Qinghe Group and form a close "interest capital group", only in this way can they escort this "industrial sprout" in the future, and of course, the consistency of interests can also ensure the cohesion of this "interest capital group".

"Running a factory? Become a shareholder? ”

While Gu Yanwu was surprised, Zhu Mingzhong continued.

"If you want to encourage the private sector to set up factories, you must first set up demonstration factories, only through the factory to earn money, will someone follow the trend to set up factories, and the government can naturally tax according to the pound of yarn, so as to enrich the financial resources of the government, to achieve the purpose of open source......"

Looking at Gu Yanwu, Zhu Mingzhong smiled,

"Maybe, when the time comes, Ningren will take the lead in setting up a factory!"